Wireless devices such as smart phones are becoming increasingly advanced and comprise an increasing number of functionalities. There are for example smart phones able to provide tethering. The idea of tethering is simple; basically the wireless device uses the wireless network for Internet access, and provides Internet connectivity to other devices using e.g. Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) networks or Bluetooth.
Network operators are typically different from manufacturers of wireless devices and they sometimes have contradicting interests. For example, while smart phone manufacturers want to offer as much functionality as possible in their products, such functionality may not always be in the best interest of the wireless network operator.
For example, many operators of wireless networks are not entirely happy with tethering as they then provide services through one subscription instead of multiple subscriptions. Indeed, some operators have started to disallow tethering and block tethering traffic. In some networks, tethering is allowed only with a specific tethering subscription.
On the other hand, there may be situations wherein the operator would indeed like to ensure satisfaction among tethered devices as well. If a user that is important to the operator of the wireless network, e.g. a bus company, would like to provide Internet access to their passengers they could use an access point device providing access to the wireless network. The passengers could then get Internet access through this access point device by means of e.g. a Bluetooth connection to the access point device. The bus company has a subscription for this access point device and generates potentially high amount of chargeable traffic, the satisfaction of the bus company thus being important to the operator.
However, the base station serving the access point device of the bus company is typically not aware of any tethered devices of this access point device, i.e. the base station is typically unaware of devices not directly connected to it. The base station scheduling only considers wireless devices directly connected to the wireless network. Therefore, the scheduling may lack fairness among the tethered devices, i.e. the passengers' respective device. In particular, a first passengers' tethered device may starve another passengers' tethered device if it has a lot of traffic. In e.g. such case it would be in the interest of the wireless operator as well to provide fairness among the tethered devices.